Over 80% of Sublette County is public land, mostly National Forest
or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. The Bridger-Teton National Forest
and the Bridger Wilderness area in the Wind River Mountains contain over
1,300 lakes and thousands of miles of streams. Fish, mainly trout, are
plentiful and offer hours of relaxing recreation to the avid and casual
fisherman. Most area streams begin to open in April, although high country
lakes may not be accessible until July. Soda Lake, a popular lake approximately
6 miles from Pinedale, opens up for fishing each year on May 10th. Fremont
Lake, the second largest natural lake in Wyoming, and the 7th deepest lake
in the country. This lake is 12 miles long and 1/2 mile wide and contains
fish as large as in the 40 lb. range. In June, the annual Father's Day
Fishing Derby is held. The annual Ice Fishing Derby is held in March. The
Green River and New Fork River offer excellent trout fishing with many
public access points.

Click on thumbnail fish pictures to see a larger version.

Brook
Trout(Salvelinus fontinalis)The brook trout is native to the eastern United States and Canada from
Labrador to Georgia and west-ward to Wisconsin. This species was widely
introduced in the western United States from the late 1800s until around
1940. The brook trout prefers clean, cold streams and has become well established
in the mountain regions throughout most of the Wyoming. The brook trout
is a prolific fall spawner. In small streams, it often overpoputates which
may eliminate other trout species and cause the brook trout to remain “stunted”
or unable to grow past a relatively small size. Like most stream trout,
brook trout’s food consists mainly of aquatic insects. Larger brook trout,
particularly in lakes, often feed on smaller fish. Brook trout are easily
caught using most popular trout fishing methods. The state record fish
was taken from Green River Lake near Pinedale, Wyoming and weighed 9.69
pounds. Most brook trout in Wyoming range from six to ten inches. The
brook trout is distinguished from the true trout (genus Salmo) by
tight spots on a dark background and from lake trout by a relatively square
caudal fin and the presence of blue or pink spots.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)The brown trout was introduced to America from Europe. It is now widely
distributed in lakes and streams throughout Wyoming. In streams brown trout
prefer dense cover, particularly overhead cover from undercut banks and
vegetation. Brown trout are slightly more tolerant of high water temperatures
than other trout. The brown trout is a fall spawner. Like most trout, young
browns feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and plankton in takes and
reservoirs. Brown trout over twelve inches usually prefer larger food items
such as small fish and crayfish. Due to their longer life span (up to ten
years) and preference for large food items, brown trout often reach trophy
sizes. Fish over ten pounds are not uncommon, and fish over twenty pounds
have been taken from the North Platte River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
The current state record from Flaming Gorge is 25.81 pounds, though fish
over thirty pounds have been taken by anglers on the Utah end of the reservoir.
Brown trout are more nocturnal than other trout and, therefore, early morning
and late evening fishermen are usually most successful. Most conventional
trout fishing techniques work for brown trout. Trailing large plugs is
especially effective for trophy browns in large reservoirs. Browns are
distinguished from rainbow and cutthroat by the relative lack of spots
on the unformed caudal fin, by the typical presence of orange spots on
the side, and by the orange border on the adipose fin. Browns have dark
spots on a lighter background versus light spots on a darker background
as found in brook trout.

Cutthroat
Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus)The cutthroat trout is the only trout native to Wyoming. Six subspecies
of cutthroat originally occurred in Wyoming, though the greenback cutthroat
of the South Platte Drainage is now extinct in the state. The subspecies
still found in Wyoming include the Colorado River cutthroat from the Green
and Little Snake River Drainage, the Yellowstone cutthroat from the Yellowstone
Basin, the Bonneville cutthroat from the Bear River Drainage, the West
Slope cutthroat from the Upper Missouri Drainage in Yellowstone Park, and
the Snake River cutthroat from the Snake River Drainage. Cutthroat are
not native in the North Platte Drainage.

The Snake River cutthroat is a fine-spotted variety while the other
subspecies have larger spots. Cutthroat are spring spawners. Principal
food of the cutthroat is plankton and aquatic insects in lakes, and aquatic
insects in streams. Cutthroat over twelve inches, especially Snake River
cutthroat, often feed on small fish and crayfish. Most conventional trout
fishing techniques work fine for cutthroat - in fact, they are one of the
easiest trout to catch on hook and line. The state record cutthroat
weighed fifteen pounds and was taken from Native Lake, Sublette County
in 1959. Cutthroat can be distinguished from other trout by the orange
or red “cutthroat”
markings under the lower jaw. They are also distinguished from rainbow
trout by the presence of
very small basibranchial teeth (towards the back of the tongue) and
black spotting or purplish color of the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins
which usually have white tips in rainbow trout.

Grayling (Thymallus arcticus)Grayling are native in cold water regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
In North America, their native range was across northern Canada with southern
extensions into Michigan and the upper Missouri drainage above the falls.
Grayling have been introduced into a number of high lakes in Wyoming. Though
they are a cold-water species, grayling generally do best in relatively
shallow high lakes with more moderate summer water temperatures and longer
growing seasons than those found in many alpine lakes. Meadow Lake near
Pinedale is Wyoming’s most important grayling fishery and serves as the
egg source for stocking other waters. The grayling is a spring spawner,
migrating into inlet tributaries to spawn over gravel beds. Some grayling
populations tend to become “stunted” due to the fish’s prolific nature.
Food of the grayling is similar to other Wyoming salmonids with perhaps
a higher preference for terrestrial insects. Grayling are easily caught
on small flies and spinners. The current state record is 2.36 pounds. Grayling
are distinguished from trout by larger scales; from suckers by the presence
of an adipose fin; and from whitefish by a large dorsal fin, a larger mouth,
and spots on the side.

Kokanee(Oncorhynchus nerka)The kokanee is a land-locked variety of the sockeye salmon native to
certain lakes in Washington and British Columbia. In Wyoming, the kokonee
has been introduced in Fremont and New Forks lakes and Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Other large lakes and reservoirs are being considered for introduction
of kokanee though careful consideration is necessary to avoid competition
with established trout species. Kokanee are well adapted for large cool
reservoirs. They possess large numbers of fine gillrakers which enable
them to feed on plankton more efficiently than most species. Kokanee are
fall spawners. Various strains spawn from late August to early November.
In Flaming Gorge Reservoir, kokanee begin running Sheep Creek in early
September. Kokanee usually begin running the Green River in October, and
yet another subpopulation spawns along the shoreline of the reservoir in
October and November. As with other Pacific salmon, kokanee die following
spawning. Spawning concentrations of kokanee can be fished by snagging
or using jigs or streamers. During the summer, kokanee are taken by trolling
pop-gear with worms or small, brightly colored spinners. Kokanee generally
average twelve to sixteen inches in length in Wyoming. Fish up to four
pounds have been observed in the spawning runs from Flaming Gorge. The
current Wyoming record is 5.73 pounds. Spawning kokanee are distinguished
from trout by their brilliant red color. Kokanee not in spawning color
are distinguished from trout by the greater number of anal fin rays. Kokanee
have thirteen to fifteen anal rays, while trout usually have none to eleven
anal rays.

Lake
Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)The lake trout or mackinaw is native in Canada and the Great Lakes
from the Yukon to the Atlantic coast. The lake trout is primarily an inhabitant
of large, deep, cold lakes. The more important lake trout fisheries in
Wyoming include Jackson. Jenny and Leigh lakes in Teton County; the Finger
lakes near Pinedale; Lewis, Shoshone, Heart takes in Yellowstone Park;
Flaming Gorge Reservoir; and Buffalo Bill Reservoir near Cody. The lake
trout is a fall spawner that spawns on rocky shoals in lakes rather than
in flowing water as other Wyoming trout. Food of lake trout over twelve
inches is predominantly fish. Trout, chubs, whitefish, and kokanee have
been found in lake trout stomachs in Wyoming. The lake trout is an extremely
long-lived fish. Fish over twenty years old have been reported. Since lake
trout prefer deep, cold water, lake trout fishermen use specialized gear.
Large plugs or spoons trolled with weighted line or downriggers is a popular
fishing method. Others prefer to jig large spoons with a chunk of sucker
meat. Lake trout are the largest fish that live in Wyoming and the state
record fish weighing fifty pounds each have been caught from Jackson Lake
and Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Lake trout are distinguished from most trout
by the lack of dark spots and from brook trout by a forked tail and absence
of pink or blue spots.

Golden
Trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita)The golden trout is native to the South Fork of the Kern River in California.
Golden trout have been introduced to Wyoming primarily in alpine lakes.
There are currently over a hundred lakes in Wyoming managed for golden
trout. Most of these lakes are in the Wind River Range, but there are also
populations in the Absoraka and Bighorn mountains and Snowy Range. The
golden trout is a spring spawner. Hybridization with rainbow and cutthroat
trout does occur, so management programs are designed to keep these species
reproductively isolated whenever possible. Plankton is the principal food
of golden trout in high lakes. Fishermen attempting to catch golden trout
often leave frustrated due to the golden’s seeming disregard for flies,
lures, and bait at certain times. Most successful golden fishermen used
small baits, lures, or flies, and a lot of patience. Golden trout in high
lakes often feed for only very short periods during the day, so the successful
fisherman must spend a lot of time to make sure he’s on the water at the
right time. The Wyoming and world record for golden trout is 11.25 pounds,
taken from Cook Lake, Sublette County, in 1948. Most golden trout in
Wyoming seldom exceed fourteen inches. Goldens are distinguished from cutthroat
trout by the absence of basabranchial teeth and white border on the pelvic
and anal fins. They are distinguished from rainbow trout by the lack of
spotting on the front of the body.

Mountain
Whitefish(Prosopium williamsoni)In Wyoming. the mountain whitefish is common in all drainages west
of the Continental Divide. It also occurs in the Madison, Yellowstone,
Bighorn and Tongue drainages in the Missouri Basin. Although it inhabits
some lakes, the mountain whitefish is generally found in large, clear streams
where it prefers deep, fast water. In streams, the whitefish feeds mainly
on insects, including caddis fly and midge larvae, and stonefly and mayfly
nymphs. Plankton is the primary food in lakes. The whitefish is a fall
spawner, with the spawning period generally beginning in mid-October. Whitefish
are often easily caught. Small nymphs, dry flies, and spinners are excellent
baits, as are aquatic insects fished on a small hook. Whitefish are good
fighters when taken on light tackle; they are excellent table fare as well,
especially when smoked. The mountain whitefish is distinguished from trout
by the coarse scales and small pointed mouth; from grayling by the shorter
dorsal fin, smaller mouth, and absence of black spots; and from suckers
and chubs by the presence of the adipose fin. Wyoming whitefish generally
average 10 to 16 inches in length. The current state record fish weighed
4.25 pounds.

Rainbow Trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss)Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific coast and have been introduced
widely to Wyoming. Rainbow are presently the most important fish used in
Wyoming’s hatchery system. The rainbow, like the cutthroat, is a spring
spawner. Since these two species are fairly close relatives, hybridization
often occurs. Because of this, rainbow are no longer being stocked in waters
containing native populations of cutthroat trout. Rainbow prefer cool,
clear water, either streams or lakes, with maximum water temperatures below
seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Food of the rainbow trout in lakes is mainly
plankton, but they also eat aquatic insects, snails, crayfish, and fresh-water
shrimp. Larger rainbow prey on small fish. The primary food in streams
is aquatic insects. Rainbow are readily caught with spinning, bait, and
fly fishing gear. The current state record for rainbow trout is a twenty-three-pound
fish taken from Burnt Lake in Sublette County. Rainbow are distinguished
from cutthroat by the absence of basibranchial teeth, the absence of cutthroat
markings under the jaw, a white tip on the pelvic and anal fins, and more
uniform spotting pattern. They are distinguished from kokanee by eleven
anal fin rays versus thirteen to fifteen for the kokanee.